| It's been a long time coming but finally | | | | many trees, for example, would need to be |
| governments are now talking about the need to | | | | planted in order to absorb this volume of carbon |
| embrace a new environmental policy. Over the | | | | dioxide. |
| last couple of years the term carbon neutral has | | | | So in theory, and it is a fairly esoteric theory it |
| become more and more popular and in fact it | | | | has to be said, if you invest in a company which |
| was the phrase of the year in 2006 as voted by | | | | plants a certain amount of trees for you then |
| The New Oxford American Dictionary. | | | | you have successfully offset your carbon dioxide |
| In line with the phrase's increasing popularity there | | | | emissions. You have 'gone carbon neutral', you are |
| has been an explosion in companies offering | | | | a 'carbon zero citizen'. But how much truth is |
| carbon offsetting schemes to big business and | | | | there in this? |
| the individual consumer. If you use airplanes | | | | The problem with this carbon neutral offset |
| regularly then you're personally responsible for | | | | theory in as far as planting trees goes is twofold. |
| pumping many thousands of tons of carbon | | | | One, the planting of trees generates more dark |
| dioxide into the earth's atmosphere. | | | | areas on the earth's surface and as we know |
| So-called carbon intensive activities have been | | | | dark areas absorb heat therefore contributing to |
| targeted as a major cause of global warming. And | | | | the global warming problem. Furthermore and |
| so we have seen the rise and rise of carbon | | | | more importantly, trees will only absorb carbon |
| credit schemes in an attempt to offset the | | | | dioxide while they are alive. As soon as they die |
| amount of CO2 we are personally responsible for | | | | carbon dioxide is released thereby rendering your |
| emitting into the environment. These offsetting | | | | carbon offsetting schemes useless. |
| companies urge us all to go carbon neutral. | | | | The carbon cycle takes place over many |
| The basic idea is that you calculate how much | | | | thousands of years. A trees lifecycle takes place |
| CO2 you're creating going about your daily | | | | over tens of years. So looking at this problem |
| business, whether this be personal activities or | | | | logically the two cannot really be compared and |
| activities relating to your work. Once this value | | | | as such it is my belief that planting trees to |
| has been quantified it is possible to calculate how | | | | offset your carbon emissions is not a solution. |